High Court asks CBI court to decide on Jagan case transfer to ED

Justice Raja Elango of the High Court at Hyderabad on Friday directed the CBI Special Court to take a call by February 29 as to whether it is transferring the illegal assets case of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to the Enforcement Directorate Court.

The judge was dealing with a petition filed by the Jagan and Vijay Sai Reddy. The petitioners questioned the ongoing trail by the ED court. Senior counsel D Prakash Reddy appearing for the petitioners contended that his clients were being tried for possessing some money which the ED was calling as crime money.

While the trial pertaining to the crime was being conducted by CBI court, the trial pertaining to the so-called crime money was being carried out by the ED. If the trial court acquitted his clients, then, the counsel contended that the question of calling money as crime money would not arise. He said the investigation on the part of the ED was premature.

Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan appearing for the ED said the procedure laid down under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act under which ED probe was made and charge sheets filed contemplated a joint trial.

He requested the court to transfer the case to the ED court, so that a joint trail may be started. “If I order a joint trial, then that may trouble you,” the judge pointed out to the petitioners’ counsel and disposed of the matter by giving directions to the CBI court.